Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I stood watching the black sedan pull into the yard.

A headset hung around my neck.

Goggles rested on my head.

Protective gloves covered my hands.

An apron was wrapped around my body.

Every piece had a stylish little bird emblem engraved into it, each one with a short tail just like Chaeri's.

It probably wasn't the most appropriate outfit for greeting a guest.

But I couldn't help it.

I'm meeting an A-Class Hunter whose intentions I don't fully understand. I should be prepared.

What I was wearing was the Hwa-in 花引 Protective Gear Set.

A set capable of helping me avoid one fatal injury per day.

Yeonwoo Guild's security personnel were also nearby.

Even if something unexpected happened, I should be safe.

Still, I didn't expect Guild Master Shin Ha-gyeon to act so humbly toward me.

I thought back to what had happened after receiving Shin Ha-gyeon's note.

Since I'd just finished making my personal items, the first thing I did was charge my phone.

Then I discovered who the acquaintance wanting to commission me actually was.

Surprisingly, Shin Ha-gyeon had left me several messages while arranging everything.

[I'm planning to show Yeonwoo's sculpture to an old acquaintance.]

[Badger Guild Master Yoon Jamok says she'd also like to commission a sculpture from you. May I give her your contact information?]

[Artist Do, since I haven't heard back from you, I haven't shared your contact information yet. How about arranging a meeting later with security personnel present?]

There were only three messages.

But they contained everything I needed to know.

Judging by the dates, Shin Ha-gyeon had invited Yoon Jamok over at least a week earlier and shown her Yeonwoo's sculpture.

And after seeing it, Yoon Jamok had asked for my contact information.

For a moment, I was impressed by Shin Ha-gyeon's enthusiasm in spreading the name Artist Do Hwa-in everywhere.

But it didn't take long for me to become conflicted.

As far as I knew, Yoon Jamok...

Or more precisely, the Badger Guild she led...

Didn't exactly have the best reputation.

Badger Guild had been founded by Yoon Jamok, a famous female Hunter who had been active since the early days of the Gate Era.

Among South Korea's top four guilds, it had the highest proportion of female Hunters.

It was also well known because Seol Ga-hyeon, an S-Class Hunter, remained there as an ordinary guild member even though the guild master herself was only A-Class.

Apparently, when the guild was first founded, it had been praised as an ideal organization.

But at some point, its reputation started plummeting.

Now it had become a breeding ground for all kinds of rumors.

I didn't know the details, but there were two major ones I'd heard.

One rumor claimed Yoon Jamok constantly engaged in power struggles with her guild members, leaving the guild atmosphere in ruins.

The other said,

Badger Guild doesn't value life.

That one probably existed because S-Class Hunter Seol Ga-hyeon was South Korea's only Necromancer.

Still, the immediate problem was Shin Ha-gyeon's attempt to arrange a meeting between Yoon Jamok and me.

I can understand why Shin Ha-gyeon might have a connection with Yoon Jamok. They were both active during the early Gate Era.

Hunters back then were people who practically destroyed their own bodies trying to save others.

But... this isn't exactly a commission I'm eager to accept.

Whether I was taking a commission or selling a finished work, I was ultimately sending away something I'd painstakingly created.

Would Badger Guild, a guild rumored to disregard life, really cherish one of my sculptures?

Even if the commission were merely for a sculpture representing the guild's philosophy, I didn't particularly want to carve something embodying the ideology of a guild surrounded entirely by negative rumors.

In the end, I called Shin Ha-gyeon.

"Yes, this is Shin Ha-gyeon."

"Hello, Guild Master Shin. It's Do Hwa-in. I just saw your note and called."

"Ah, you saw it. What do you think?"

"Well... Thank you for promoting me, but due to some circumstances, I don't think I'll be able to accept this commission."

"..."

Shin Ha-gyeon fell silent for a moment.

I wondered if he was offended that I'd rejected his goodwill.

Instead, he immediately saw through my thoughts.

"Is it because of Badger Guild's... and Guild Master Yoon Jamok's reputation?"

That meant Shin Ha-gyeon had already realized there was a good chance I would hesitate to accept the commission.

I let out an awkward laugh before answering honestly.

"Yes. Honestly, I'm not sure Badger Guild or Guild Master Yoon Jamok would truly value my work."

"...I see."

"I know Guild Master Yoon Jamok is someone who has worked hard for this country and its citizens. And I also trust you, Guild Master Shin, since you've openly called yourself my fan."

"..."

"But to an artist, your own work is like your child."

"I understand. It seems my explanation wasn't enough to give you confidence. Would you at least give me another chance to persuade you?"

From what I could tell, Shin Ha-gyeon sounded slightly nervous.

If Shin Ha-gyeon was lowering himself this much for an acquaintance, there had to be circumstances I didn't know about.

And it didn't feel like some ordinary business issue between guilds.

What kind of commission is this, exactly?

The longer I sensed an S-Class Hunter nervously waiting for my answer on the other end of the line, the more curious I became.

Eventually...

"...Considering everything Yeonwoo Guild has done for me, I'll at least hear her out. I'll meet Guild Master Yoon Jamok myself, so please pass that along."

"Of course. I'll arrange a date as soon as possible."

Shin Ha-gyeon's voice brightened considerably.

Before ending the call, he even thanked me.

And today...

Yoon Jamok had finally come to visit my dream house.

"Thank you for coming out to greet me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Artist Do. I'm Yoon Jamok."

Surprisingly, my first impression of Yoon Jamok wasn't bad.

She was someone who regularly appeared in online posts titled things like The Hunter Whose Appearance Changed the Most with Age, so I'd expected a darker and more intimidating atmosphere.

Instead, her eyes were clear, giving her a straightforward impression.

"Also, I couldn't come empty-handed as a guest, so I've prepared a gift. I'm not trying to make you feel indebted, so I'd appreciate it if you accepted it comfortably."

Following Yoon Jamok's gesture, I looked behind her.

Two Badger Guild members were unloading a chunk of black wood from the trunk.

"It's the Sacred Wood of Dirom."

"...The Sacred Wood of Dirom?"

That World Tree material that only appeared in a specific Gate?

Every time it appeared, monsters resembling fairies or elves guarded it.

And apparently, it was also an extremely potent medicinal material.

...What kind of sculpture could I make from that?

My impression of Guild Master Yoon Jamok improved a little.

Click.

"Welcome."

The door to my dream house opened.

Yoon Jamok launched an overwhelming material offensive once the meeting properly began.

"...So you're saying you'll give me eight A-Class mana stones as an advance payment if I accept?"

"Yes. And once the work is completed, I'll also pay you one billion won and give you an extra-large piece of the Sacred Wood of Dirom secured by Badger Guild."

"Why are you offering this much?"

It was far too generous.

Eight A-Class mana stones alone were already worth around three times the payment I'd received for the Yeonwoo sculpture.

Then there was the additional one billion won.

But more importantly, she was offering me an extra-large piece of Sacred Wood of Dirom.

For a sculptor, saying extra-large meant she was offering a piece large enough to create a massive sculpture.

I briefly remembered the wood I'd glimpsed outside.

Black like the night sky.

Containing a glow like the Milky Way.

Mysterious.

Almost supernatural.

Sacred Wood was so famous as a medicinal ingredient that obtaining it as carving material was practically impossible.

I heard there's only one Gate in South Korea where Sacred Wood appears. So Badger Guild controls it.

Eight A-Class mana stones.

Cash roughly equal to the price of Mad Dragon Rubera's Scale Sword.

And Sacred Wood that couldn't easily be obtained even with money and industry connections.

Is this commission really important enough to justify all that?

At this point, I was starting to wonder why I specifically had to be the sculptor.

Maybe my expression gave away what I was thinking.

Yoon Jamok, who had been quietly sipping tea, finally answered in a subdued voice.

"Because I've concluded that Badger Guild absolutely needs a sculpture created by Artist Do Hwa-in."

"...What kind of sculpture do you want badly enough that it has to be mine?"

Judging by the payment, this clearly wasn't some ordinary corporate commission meant to express a company's philosophy.

"I want a sculpture that can comfort the people who see it. Something that gives them very powerful, hopeful comfort..."

"Comfort..."

"Yes. I want you to create a sculpture that gives strength to my guild members."

"...Could you explain in more detail?"

Yoon Jamok thought for a moment before answering.

"I think it would be easier for you to understand if you came and saw it yourself rather than having me explain."

"In that case, I'll decide whether to accept the contract after seeing it personally."

At the very least, I needed to know what kind of comfort she wanted before I could decide whether to accept.

The word comfort was only a single concept.

But there were probably as many ways to comfort someone as there were people in the world.

That meant tens of thousands of different meanings could exist inside that single word.

A sculpture was no different.

Yoon Jamok nodded in agreement.

"Understood, Artist Do. Please visit the guild whenever you have time. Just contact us beforehand and we'll arrange everything."

A few days later.

"Yes, we're almost there. Right. I'll see you upstairs."

I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again.

I looked through the car window.

Old buildings and modern ones were mixed together in a chaotic streetscape.

Jongno 5-ga.

These days, it was more commonly known as Badger Street.

As the name suggested, it was famous for being the neighborhood where Badger Guild was based.

Part of its fame came from the common belief that areas around major guilds were generally safer.

But Badger Street was even more famous for another reason.

"Badger Guild! Hand over Seol Ga-hyeon!"

"Hand her over! Hand her over! Hand her over!"

"Apologize to the bereaved families!"

"Apologize! Apologize! Apologize!"

For an area housing a major guild, property prices were shockingly low.

And it was all because of those protests.

Maybe it was because the noise made the neighborhood unlivable.

Or maybe people were simply too afraid.

And I'm supposed to go inside that guild.

It was definitely more chaotic than I'd imagined.

I was already frowning.

But I'd already told both Shin Ha-gyeon and Yoon Jamok that I would come and see everything with my own eyes before deciding.

One of the guards cautiously spoke.

"We'll enter through the underground parking lot."

"Yes. Otherwise, I think things could become quite unpleasant."

The driver began turning the car around to find the entrance to the parking garage.

That was when an even louder commotion broke through the car windows.

"It's Seol Ga-hyeon! Grab her!"

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?! My son! Give me my son back!"

"Let go of me! Why are you asking me for your son?!"

I turned in surprise.

Seol Ga-hyeon really was getting her hair pulled by the protesters.

She's an S-Class Hunter, isn't she?

And yet she was being dragged around so helplessly?

From the situation, it looked like she'd been caught while trying to circle around to the back of the building.

Her combat suit had already been stretched badly from all the pulling.

Of course, with an S-Class Hunter's body, ordinary civilians probably couldn't leave so much as a scratch on her no matter how much they hit her.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

A stronger body didn't mean your nerves stopped working.

Seol Ga-hyeon kept protesting verbally that their sons had nothing to do with her, yet she didn't properly resist even once, apparently afraid of hurting the civilians.

"No, no. That's..."

What a miserable sight.

I quickly knocked on the driver's seat and shouted,

"Pull over here! Everyone except the driver, follow me!"

"Yes!"

Thankfully, the guards obeyed without arguing.

With security personnel on both sides, I ran toward Seol Ga-hyeon.

"Please clear a path without hurting any civilians! Be firm, but don't injure anyone!"

The C-Class and B-Class Hunters, whose stats were naturally far higher than mine, rushed ahead and opened a path.

Ordinary people were pushed aside instantly.

The fact that not a single person fell in the chaos proved the guards were carefully following my request.

After giving them a grateful look, I kept running.

Before long, I managed to grab Seol Ga-hyeon's arm.

Whether she realized who had caught her or not, she allowed herself to be pulled along without resistance.

We ran toward the entrance of Badger Guild.

The moment we stepped inside, fresh air seemed to rush over us from somewhere.

"Phew..."

I released a tense breath.

Seol Ga-hyeon, her hair completely disheveled, looked around in confusion.

Then she looked at me, still holding her arm.

The dark circles beneath her eyes immediately stood out.

She looked unhealthy at a glance.

For some reason, frustration welled up inside me, and I frowned.

Then, as a basic matter of decency, I asked,

"Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Ah."

Seol Ga-hyeon lowered her head.

For a moment, I heard her sniff.

Then she hurriedly started fixing her hair.

"...I'm... fine. Thank you for helping me."

"It was nothing."

"..."

Silence settled between us.

Around then, my guards came inside.

"Fortunately, they aren't entering the guild building."

"Ah, you're here. Good work. Nobody got hurt, did they...?"

"Oh, we're fine."

Thanks to them, the atmosphere became a little less awkward.

Seol Ga-hyeon lowered her gaze slightly and continued standing there in silence.

Everything had happened so suddenly, yet she didn't even ask me to release her arm.

That same frustrating feeling rose inside me again.

I carefully let go while pretending not to notice.

"Ahem. Ms. Seol Ga-hyeon. If it's all right, could you show me to the guild master's office? I have a meeting with Guild Master Yoon Jamok today."

"Ah, yes. Of course."

Seol Ga-hyeon went along with my deliberate change of topic, but she still looked somewhat dazed.

She isn't even checking whether I'm telling the truth.

She didn't seem unintelligent.

The incident outside must have shaken her badly.

I nodded inwardly and followed behind her.

At least her steps were straight.

Watching the small back half a step ahead of me, I thought,

This person is South Korea's only Necromancer?

There was something strange about Badger Guild when I followed Seol Ga-hyeon through the building.

The interior design was clearly focused on making the people who used the building feel comfortable.

The lobby had large, soft sofas.

The building used an open courtyard design with the ceiling extending all the way up to the third floor.

A massive tree stood in the middle.

Except for one wall and the floor, the elevator was made of glass, giving it an open feeling.

Plants were placed everywhere.

Beanbags and small chairs where people could sit and rest were scattered throughout the building.

When I casually asked the still-dazed Seol Ga-hyeon about it, she explained that every floor had its own rest area.

There was also an artificial garden separate from the lobby.

Apparently, Badger Guild paid a lot of attention to employee welfare too.

They had a guild-run daycare center.

A guild medical clinic.

Even dedicated sleeping rooms.

But despite all that...

The faces of the guild members using the building looked strangely gloomy.

They would smile with shadows over their faces, then turn away and sigh.

Almost every visible window had its blinds pulled down, as though nobody wanted to look outside.

There was very little casual conversation.

And I'd noticed all of that during nothing more than the short walk to the guild master's office behind Seol Ga-hyeon.

If that was obvious to a visitor after only a few minutes...

How did guild members who spent months and years here feel?

Was this what Guild Master Yoon Jamok meant when she said it would be easier if I came and saw it myself?

The members of Badger Guild definitely looked exhausted.

Their hearts seemed tired in a way that completely contradicted the comforting design of the building.

I suppose having protesters blocking your front entrance every day would wear anyone down...

Especially when the reason for the protests made so little sense.

I'd spent several days researching Badger Guild before coming here.

There was only one reason the protesters gathered in front of their building.

Seol Ga-hyeon was a Necromancer.